To Investigate the Effect of Using Ethanol Containing Wipes in Collecting Blood for the Measurement of Alcohol Concentration

This study was aimed to establish whether the skin preparation using ethanol-containing skin antiseptics causes ethanol contamination through blood collection. Venous blood was collected from 40 healthy volunteers according to the national guidelines for blood sampling, with four sequential procedures as follows: 1) collecting blood immediately (within 5 seconds) after cleaning the skin with an individually packaged type of ethanol-containing wipe, 2) collecting blood 1 minute after cleaning the skin with an individually packaged type of ethanol-containing wipe, 3) collecting immediately (within 5 seconds) after cleaning the skin with a traditional cleaning method (thoroughly ethanol-impregnated wipe, and 4) collecting 1 minute after cleaning the skin with a traditional cleaning method. Each sequential procedure was performed with and without the ethanol-containing wipe used for skin cleaning on the puncture site on their right and left arms at the time the needle was withdrawn, respectively. The collected specimens were subjected to the determination of ethanol by using headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In every 80 blood specimens obtained from 40 participants, ethanol was undetectable (<0.001 mg/mL). This study demonstrates that disinfection using ethanol-containing skin antiseptics is unlikely to cause ethanol contamination through blood collection regardless of skin preparation technique according to the guidelines for blood sampling. This may have implications in forensic science.

Quantitative index calculated by ^(99m)Tc-GSA scintigraphy

99mTc-galactosyl human serum albumin（GSA） scintigraphy is useful to evaluate hepatic function and hepatic functional reserve. A reliable SPECT and CT integrated system is now commercially available. Using this system, we can obtain 99mTc-GSA SPECT/CT fused imaging with a small registration error. Therefore, the 99mTc-GSA scintigraphy techniques prove more useful in clinical practice than have been previously reported. In the latest Annals of Surgical Oncology on Oct 2014, the uptake index（UI） values calculated from 99mTc-GSA scintigraphy are reported to be useful for predicting the functional reserve of the future remnant liver. In this paper, we describe the usefulness of 99mTc-GSA scintigraphy as well as some cautions that are necessary as regards using the system.